Thread-controlling mechanism for leather-sewing machines.



.I. L. WHEELER.

THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR LEATHER SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. I913- 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented May16, 1916.

"ms COLUMBIA WRAP)! 60.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

1. L, WHEELER. THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR LEATHER SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1913.

1,182,948. Patented May16, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. L. WHEELER.

THREAD CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR LEATHER SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. n. 1913.

1,182,948. Patented May16, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. zga

UNITED STATES PATENT o EioE.

JOHN L. WHEELER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

THREAD-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR LEATHER-SEWING MACHINES.

Application filed November 17, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN L. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread Controlling Mechanism for Leather-Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an attachment for leather sewing machines, and has for its object a mechanism for drawing the thread providing a sufficient slack to be passed around the shuttle, a means for clamping the thread while the slack is being formed, a means for puncturing the leather and feeding the same sidewise, bringing the perforation in proper alinement with the needle; and a means for adjusting the amount of slack.

A further object of my invention is to construct a device to be used in connection with a sewing machine on which leather is sewed, the said device being operated by cams for clamping the thread when a portion of the device is forming a slack in the thread to be passed around the shuttle, a means for adjusting the length of the slack and a means for setting the stitch.

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my invention with parts in section showing the general arrangement and construction. Fig. 2, is a front view of the same. Fig. 3, is a dctail side elevation of the combination auxiliary take-up slack forming, and thread measuring lever with a portion thereof in section. Fig. 4c, is a detail cross-sectional view of the eccentric for regulating the throw of the stitch set lever. Fig. 5, is a side elevation of the cam made use of for operating the needle. Fig. 6, is a side elevation of the cam used for operating the combination auxiliary take-up, slack forming and thread measuring lever. Fig. 7, is a side elevation of the cam made use of for operating the puncturing lever. Fig. 8, is a side elevation of the cam made use of for operating the stitch set leverafter the thread has been passed around the shuttle through 'the material by the combination auxiliary take-up slack forming and thread measuring lever. Fig. 9, is a detail sectional view of the tension mechanism by which the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Serial No. 801,376.

thread is controlled in being unwound from the spool. Fig. 10, is a detail sectional view of the material sewed showing the formation of the stitch made by the machine.

Referring to the drawings in detail 11 indicates the bed-plate of a sewing machine, such as is used for sewing shoes, harness, or other leather.

12 indicates the shuttle casing, 13 the shuttle, and L1 a presser foot under which the material is fed and by which said material is held in position during the puncturing and sewing of the same.

15 indicates a shaft on which is mounted a fly wheel 16, and to which is attached a handle 17, when the device is to be rotated and operated by hand. But on said shaft 15 may also be located a pulley so that the device can be operated by power. The shaft 15 is supported inbearings 18 and on said shaft are mounted disks 19 and 20. Both surfaces of each disk are provided with eam grooves in which rollers attached to certain levers operate. The function of these levers will be hereinafter described.

On the machine is located a rigid supporting frame 21' on which is mounted a wax-pot 22 provided with grooved thread guide rollers 23, and a submerged roller 2% under which the thread is guided through the wax. On one of the arms of the supporting frame is rigidly attached a segment frame 25 which is provided with an adjustable bracket 26. On this bracket is mounted a guide wheel 27 over which the thread 0perates- At one end of the segment is located a similar wheel 28 over which the thread leading from the spool is passed; this spool is preferably located beneath the bed-plate or table of the machine.

On the opposite end of the segment 25 is pivotally mounted a lever 29, and on the pivot 30 supporting the same is mounted a cam disk 31, the same being so situated that its lower periphery is brought in con tact with. the thread firmly clamping the thread between the, disk and a table 32 formed on the arm of thesupport 21, when the lever 29 is' raised upwardly by a roller 33 located on its free end coming in contact with a projection 34: formed on the periphery of the cam disk 20.

On the bottom of the bed-plate is formed an car 35 to which is pivoted a combination auxiliary take-up, slack forming and thread measuring lever 36, this lever is provlded with a roller 37, shown by dottedglines inthread passes before passing over theftablei 32 Thearm 4O isproyided'witha piston 42 operatingin a piston chamber 43 located on the upper end of the lever 36. .In this chamber is located arspring 4A which regu-.

lates -thepressure on the thread. when t the combination auxiliary take up and thread measuring device is measuring off i a proper amount of thread for the various thicknesses of material. Qn-the lever 36 are also located pins 4t5.,and 46, which are so positioned asto limit the movement of the arm 40, the general construction and arrangement of these partsiare fully shown 3. I N

. Onv the supporting bracket 21, is pivotally located a lever 4C7, its freeend providedwith a roller '48 which projects into the cam groove49 formed on the outer surface 50 ofthe cam disk 20, and by the rotationof this cam vdisk the lever l'i is operated bringingthe eccentricofl in contact with the surface .52-of the stitch setting lever which is locatedonthe piyotjl which pivot also supports the. lever. {1-7 .,.,The downward move ment of the stitch setting lever53 is limited by..the pin 55. located on the bracket QlQ and the upward movement of the stitch setting lever 53 is governedby the adjustment of the eccentric 51. I Y c I w y In the frameor bracket is located a shaft 56 which is .slidably and rotatably, mounted and on this shaft is; rigidly attached a lever 57, its one end beingprovidedjwith a roller 58 shown by dotted lines in Fig; 1, which projects intoa cam groove 59 located on the innersurface GO of the cam disk 20. The opposite end of the lever is provided with an awl. or ;perforatin'g pin 1 passes through the opening 62iformed; on the pres- .ser footltand punctures the material which lies between the Presser foot and thesurface 63 .of. theshuttle casing. 'The lateral moveinent is imparted tothe shaft 56 and lever 57 by means of the pivoted arm 64 which is oper t dvh n het i i 65 erm d 9 the cam disk 20 contacts with the'end 66'of the arm: 64:, pressing it outwardly and bringing the end 67 of the arm againstlthej shaft 561011 which thelever 57 ,is' mounted, pressing the same toward the left an amount equal to the stitch and in lines with the needle 68 located in lever 69. After the awl or perforating pin has perforated and fed the material, the spring 69* located between thelever57 andthe lever 69 shifts the awl back to the right, for the next stitch.

The lever 69 to which the needle 68 is attachedis operated at a proper period by means of the cam groove 70, formed on the inner face 71 of the cam disk 19 into which a roller 7 2 carried by the opposite end of the lever 69 projects. Q J

All of the cams are so positioned as to operate each one of the several levers at the proper time so that the material is punctured and 1 fed in alinement with the needle, thethread properly adjusted forming sulficient slack to be passedaround the'shuttle and bythe operation and arrangement of the levers a lock stitch is formed as that illustrated in Fig. 10. The s 'oecific feature is to' pull the loop 73into the material as shown and this forming and pulling in'iof theloop is accomplisl1ed by 'the'stitch setting lever 53 operated in connection with theanovementof the'lever 47. By my arrangement of the thread. whiclrhas been properly waXedand passed through the mate'rial andthe other thread passing through the loop formed, is drawn up intothe material late-"distance go'veined'by the adjust ment of the cam 51 regulating thethr'owor upward movement of the stitch setting lever 53, and whether the horizontal portion 74 ofthethlread is worn out or' not theloop' inside of the inaterial'acts as a lock and holds the stit'ch, preventing the same from with drawing from theniaterial.

The adjustment of' the threadto be'provided for the greatest thickness of material to be sewed is accomplished by sliding the block '26 forwardly or retfimdiy' on the segment 25 therebyallowin'g the wheel 41 on the lever 40to' come in contact with the thread at a certain predetermined position. and in conjunction with the spring 44 and pin 42, regulates the amount of "thread pulled from thespool This drawing in' of the thread or stitch takes 'place when the thread'isloc'ked on the tables-2 by the cam 31 The sliding block 26 is held on the segment'j25 by the clamping'screw '75 and the thread wheel 27 is attached'to the arm 76 which is formed integral with the sliding block 2 See Fig. 2'. I

' On""thejbase or table of the machine is located a tension device ,77 through which 7 the thread" from'the" spool 'is passed. This tension 'devi'ce"consists ofa disk'78 which is loosely mounted'on astud 79; Said stud is screw-threaded on one end and'on the thraded portion is located a tension regulating wheel 80. Between the tension regulating wheel 80 and the di'sk 78 islocated a spring 81 This tension device is'used to regulate the supply'lso that by movement of the lever "36the thread *Will not formagreater loop than is determined by the ad- III justment of the block 26, and also to prevent the thread from unwinding rapidly from the spool and becoming tangled.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The thread after having been placed in position as illustrated in Fig. l, the material to be sewed is passed between the presser foot and the surface 63, then the lever 57 is operated bringing the awl 61 down through the material, when in such position the projection 65 on the face of the cam disk 20 contacts with the pivot arm 64 pressing the shaft 56 to one side thereby shifting the lever 57 and awl 61 to the left; the awl still being through the material this movement feeds the material so that the perforation is in dircet alinement with the needle 68. When in this position the projection 65 having performed its function, the lever 57 raises to its normal position and at the same time is shifted back to its normal position by the coil spring 69. At this junction the lever 69 is operated elevating the needle 68, catching the thread which passes over the thread-guide 82, and presser foot 14. The lever 69 then draws the needle downwardly as the lever 36 moves forward to allow the proper amount of thread to go around the shuttle allowing the shuttle to catch the thread and drawing it around, this shuttle is of the ordinary rotary construction. The lever 36 then starts back to the rear drawing the loose thread from around the shuttle up to the under surface of the material being sewed. When this is accomplished the thread is locked between the cam 31 and the table 32, the lever 36 continues its rearward movement and draws suflicient thread from the spool to form the next stitch, the lever 47 now commences to operate and draws the lever 53 upwardly pulling the thread into the material sewed, the thread being clamped between the eccentric and table is held tightly so that the thread from the shuttle is drawn into the material. When this thread is drawn into the material the thread is released from its locked position between the eccentric and the table and the operation repeated.

Having fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. Thread controlling mechanism for leather sewing machines comprising in combination, a main frame, a stitch setting lever mounted thereon, a combined take up and thread measuring device including a lever pivoted on said main frame, a thread lock adapted to lock the thread between said stitch setting lever and said take-up and thread measuring device, a segment frame concentric with the pivot of said pivoted lever, and having an adjustable thread guide thereon, said take up and thread measuring device being adapted to act on the thread between said thread lock and said adjustable thread guide, whereby the action of said device on the thread .may be varied by the adjustment of said thread guide.

2. Thread controlling mechanism for leather sewing machines, comprising in combination a base plate, a main frame mounted thereon, a plurality of cams axially mounted in the main frame, a combined take-up and thread measuring device including a lever pivoted on said main frame and operated by said cams, a seg ment frame concentric with the pivot of said pivoted lever, an adjustable thread guide located on the segment frame by which the slack of the thread is regulated, a binding lever located at one end of the segment frame by which the threadis gripped during the thread measuring operation, all of said levers being operated at proper intervals by the movement of said cams, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. WHEELER. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIOKS, WALTER C. STEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

